Lord Vinson: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What additional levels of carbon dioxide have been generated by incineration of carcasses that would hitherto have been buried; and what additional carbon dioxide was generated by the vehicles collecting fallen stock in the past12 months.

Lord Rooker: There is no provision under the European Union animal by-products regulation (which bans on-farm burial of fallen stock) for seeking a derogation to permit the burial of sheep. The only derogations which permit burial are in the event of an outbreak a of notifiable disease and for certain designated remote areas. In the case of a disease outbreak, the derogation would apply if there were a lack of capacity at rendering plants and incinerators, or if transport of the carcases would spread disease.
	Pollution control is not the main aim of this regulation. The regulation is there to protect public and animal health from any potential risks associated with the burial of fallen stock. Rendering and incineration provide safe, controlled routes of disposal.

Lord Rooker: When Defra published its Code of Good Practice on the use of Snares in Fox and Rabbit Control in October 2005 it also published the Defra Snares Action Plan. A copy of the action plan can be found on the Defra website at www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/vertebrates/snares/pdf/snares-actionplan.pdf. The action plan clearly sets out Defra's commitment for research to be undertaken to monitor the voluntary uptake of the code, its practical application and impact. A research project will be procured in the near future. Defra will aim to review the code of good practice by the end of 2008 in the light of research findings and of its impact on snaring practices and results. Following the review of the code, Defra will consider giving it a higher legal status if appropriate. Nothing within the League Against Cruel Sports report changes that position.

Lord Rooker: The Defra Code of Good Practice on the use of Snares in Fox and Rabbit Control includes the following advice:
	"Snares must not be set on or near public footpaths, rights of way, near housing and areas regularly used for exercising domestic animals to avoid capturing pets".
	The full code is available from the Defra website at www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/vertebrates/snares/pdf/snares-cop.pdf.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The following are the main income maintenance benefits available to UK citizens:
	Under 25—Jobseeker's allowance; income support; incapacity benefit; housing benefit; council tax benefit; working tax credit if the customer is responsible for a child or is disabled. The appropriate benefit will depend on the individual's circumstances.Over 25—Jobseeker's allowance; income support; incapacity benefit; housing benefit; council tax benefit; working tax credit. If the customer is over retirement age they will have access to state pension; pension credit: housing benefit; council tax benefit. The appropriate benefit will depend on the individual's circumstances.Married Couples—There is no benefit available only to married couples.Children—Child benefit and child tax credit

Lord Rooker: Special Advisers in the NIO act in accordance with the Model Contract andCode of Conduct for Special Advisers.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: No, the Government's position concerning the consent for prosecution in corruption cases remains that stated in the Home Office's consultation paper of December 2005. When we reform our corruption laws, we intend to replace this requirement with a requirement for consent to be given by the Director of Public Prosecutions or a nominated deputy and to add a power for consent to be given by the Director of the Serious Fraud Office.
	Under our existing law, a prosecution under either the Public Bodies Corrupt Practices Act 1889 or Prevention of Corruption Act 1906 requires the consent of the Attorney-General.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The UK is fully compliant with its obligations under the Council of Europe's Criminal Law Convention on Corruption. Article 20 of that convention requires each party to the convention to ensure that specialised authorities in the fight against corruption have the necessary independence to carry out their functions effectively and free from any undue pressure. The objectives of this provision are also replicated in the Guiding Principles on the Fight against Corruption agreed by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. No specific new measures were required for the UK to comply with these provisions. Police and prosecution authorities already possess the necessary independence to carry out their functions effectively and free from undue pressure. While under our existing law a prosecution under either the Public Bodies Corrupt Practices Act 1889 or Prevention of Corruption Act 1906 requires the consent of the Attorney-General, the Attorney-General does not exercise his prosecution functions as a member of the Government but as impartial guardian of the public interest.

Lord Rooker: The Irish Football Association (IFA) is the governing body of soccer in Northern Ireland and responsible for supporting the Northern Ireland football team. The Sports Council for Northern Ireland (SCNI), which is responsible for the development of sport, including the distribution of funding, has provided the following exchequer funding to the IFA in each of the past five years.
	
		
			 SCNI Exchequer Funding 
			  2001-02 (£) 2002-03 (£) 2003-04 (£) 2004-05 (£) 2005-06 (£) Total 
			 IFA 50,000 1,931,575 69,624 1,053,092 93,258 3,197,549

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to recent statements about harm to human health from alpha radiation from polonium 210, whether assurances given to sick veterans of the 1990-91 Gulf War that alpha radiation from depleted uranium used in the conflict was not harmful to their health are now being reviewed; and what information they have on the extent to which depleted uranium (U238) contains tracesof the more dangerous isotopes U235 andU233.

Lord Rooker: In respect of those in Northern Ireland who have either Polish or Chinese as their native tongue, all government departments adhere to the Guide to Making Information Accessible, a government-wide document which advises officials on how information should be provided to the public to meet the needs of all those who wish to access services. Northern Ireland government departments will continue to comply fully with the provisions in the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, which the Government have undertaken to pursue in respect of Irish and Ulster-Scots.
	In the St Andrews agreement the Government are committed to introducing an Irish Language Bill reflecting on the experience in Wales and Ireland and to work with the incoming Executive to enhance and protect the Irish language. A consultation paper on proposed Irish language legislation was published on 13 December.
	In the Northern Ireland (St Andrews Agreement) Act 2006 the Government have put duties on the Executive of a devolved government as follows:
	the Executive Committee shall adopt a strategy setting out how it proposes to enhance and protect the development of the Irish language; andthe Executive Committee shall adopt a strategy setting out how it proposes to enhance and develop the Ulster-Scots language, heritage and culture.

Lord Rooker: I welcome this report as it should reassure those who have suggested that the enormous pleasure our national parks have given to so many people has been at the expense of businesses within them. It shows that, on the contrary, national parks help businesses to prosper, locally and regionally.
	We have just announced an increase of £1.12 million in the level of funding Defra provides to the national park authorities and we are currently discussing the forthcoming spending review with the park authorities and stakeholders.
	Defra is working towards a more strategic approach to decision and policy making on the natural environment which involves formulating an ecosystems approach for England's terrestrial ecosystems. Research is underway to develop tools and methodologies for valuation of ecosystem services (the broad range of benefits that healthy ecosystems provide to humans), so that their true value can be taken into account in decision making. This work will help in assessing the overall value of national parks and other protected areas.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The information is in the tables.
	
		
			 HL673 
			 Type of Money Purchase Scheme Value of final pensions pot after 40 years 
			  8 per cent 10 per cent 12 per cent 14 per cent 16 per cent 
			 Contracted-in £239,645 £299,556 £359,467 £419,378 £479,290 
			 Contracted-out £374,151 £434,062 £493,973 £553,885 £613,796 
		
	
	
		
			 HL674 
			 Type of Money Purchase Scheme Value of Final Pensions Pot after 40 Years 
			  8 per cent 10 per cent 12 per cent 14 per cent 16 per cent 
			 Contracted-in £186,700 £233,375 £280,050 £326,725 £373,400 
			 Contracted-out £302,309 £348,984 £395,659 £442,334 £489,009 
			 All figures are in 2006-07 prices. 
			 Total contributions are split equally between employee and employer. 
			 Contributions are assumed to begin in 2006-07 for an individual aged 25, and last 40 years until retirement. 
			 Assumes a real investment return of 3.5 per cent a year for 40 years. 
			 The difference in figures in the two tables is down to the difference in median earnings between men and women. Figures are for men and women on median male and female earnings respectively in 2006-07. 
			 The figures do not include tax relief as this is delivered through the pay packet as opposed to being paid into the scheme. 
			 The size of the pension pots between contracted-in and contracted-out individuals is not strictly comparable. This is because contracted-out individuals on median earnings will also build up some to S2P. So their S2P should be taken into account along with their private pension when comparing to contracted-out individuals. 
			 The figures assume the existing system for contracting out will continue and make no allowance for the proposals in the current Pensions Bill.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The cross-regional information sharing project (IMPACT CRISP) is an important step in the modular and incremental approach we are taking to the delivery of new information sharing services to the police and partner agencies. It will provide the police service with a new capability to access information held in other forces' local systems much more quickly than would otherwise have been possible. It will also assist in the delivery of the police national database (PND) by introducing a new common data schema, enabling forces to contribute their data for sharing and helping forces identify the business process changes they need to introduce in order to make the best use of the new information sharing capabilities.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The following guidance has been published concerning the release and detention of foreign national prisoners and is accessible via the internet:
	Prison Service Order 4630: Immigration and Foreign Nationals in Prisons (http://pso.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/PSO_4630_immigration_and_foreign_nationals.doc)
	Chapter 13 of the Immigration Directorate Instructions (http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/idischapter13/)
	The Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2006 (http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2006/20061003.htm).

Lord Adonis: The department is unable to provide the information requested for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, as the figures are not comparable. Expenditure on pupils by age is not collected but the table below provides the available information for England:
	
		
			 School based expenditure per pupil 1,2 and combined local authority and school based expenditure per pupil 3 in England during 2005-06 Cash terms figures 4,5 as reported by local authorities 4 at 12 December 2006. 
			  2005-06 England (£ per pupil) 
			 Primary school based expenditure per pupil 1,4,5 3,150 
			 Secondary school based expenditure per pupil 1,2,4,5 4,070 
			 Combined local authority and school based expenditure per pupil 3,4,5 4,450 
			 Notes:1. School based expenditure includes only expenditure incurred directly by local authority schools. This includes the pay of teachers and school-based support staff, school premises costs, books and equipment, and certain other supplies and services, less any capital items funded from recurrent spending and income from sales, fees and charges and rents and rates. This excludes the central cost of support services such as home to school transport, local authority administration and the financing of capital expenditure. The pupil data are drawn from the DfES Annual Schools Census adjusted to be on a financial year basis.2. Secondary school based expenditure includes any sixth form expenditure by local authority maintained schools.3. Combined local authority and school based expenditure includes all expenditure on the education of children in local authority maintained establishments and pupils educated by the authority other than in maintained establishments. This includes both school based expenditure and all elements of central LA expenditure except youth and community and capital expenditure from revenue (CERA). Certain elements of central local authority expenditure cannot be attributed to a particular phase of education and consequently a sector breakdown is not available. Pupil figures include all pre-primary pupils, including those under 5s funded by the authority and being educated in private settings, pupils educated in maintained mainstream schools and any other local authority maintained pupils. All pupil numbers are adjusted to be on a financial year basis.4. The expenditure are drawn from local authorities Section 52 Outturn Statements (Table A) submitted to the DfES. 2005-06. The data are subject to change by the local authority. Expenditure on pupils by age is not collected by the Department.5. Figures are rounded to the nearest £10.

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether Education and Library Boards in Northern Ireland are entitled to adopt statements assessed by local education authorities in England and Wales.

Lord Rooker: Education and Library Boards in Northern Ireland are not entitled to adopt statements assessed by local education authorities in England and Wales when considering a statutory assessment for a child resident in Northern Ireland.

Lord Carlile of Berriew: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	On how many occasions strip-searching involving physical restraint occurred at Lancaster Farm young offender institution in relation to, respectively, male and female clients during each of the 12 months prior to 1 November; and
	On how many occasions strip-searching involving physical restraint occurred at Stoke Heath young offender institution in relation to, respectively, male and female clients during each of the 12 months prior to 1 November; and
	On how many occasions strip-searching involving physical restraint occurred at Thorn Cross young offender institution in relation to, respectively, male and female clients during each of the 12 months prior to 1 November; and
	On how many occasions strip-searching involving physical restraint occurred at Warren Hill young offender institution in relation to, respectively, male and female clients during each of the 12 months prior to 1 November; and
	On how many occasions strip-searching involving physical restraint occurred at Warrington young offender institution in relation to, respectively, male and female clients during each of the 12 months prior to 1 November; and
	On how many occasions strip-searching involving physical restraint occurred at Wetherby young offender institution in relation to, respectively, male and female clients during each of the 12 months prior to 1 November.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The available information is set out in the table below and shows the number of times strip-searches were undertaken using approved control and restraint techniques in the 12 months prior to 1 November. All the establishments hold male young offenders only.
	
		
			 Number of full searches under control and restraint 
			 Date (HL 965) Lancaster Farms (HL 966) Stoke Heath (HL 967) Thorn Cross (HL 968) Warren Hill (HL 969) Werrington (HL 970) Wetherby 
			 Nov 2005 4 3 0 0 0 0 
			 Dec 2005 1 1 0 1 0 0 
			 Jan 2006 3 3 0 2 0 0 
			 Feb 2006 4 3 0 1 0 0 
			 Mar 2006 1 3 0 2 0 0 
			 Apr 2006 2 2 0 1 0 0 
			 May 2006 3 1 0 2 0 0 
			 Jun 2006 2 1 0 3 0 0 
			 Jul 2006 1 1 0 0 1 0 
			 Aug 2006 1 2 0 0 0 0 
			 Sep 2006 3 0 0 1 0 0 
			 Oct 2006 5 0 0 3 0 0 
			 Total 30 20 0 16 1 0